


Come Meet Me in the Sky

by GuineapigQueen



Series: Tumblr prompts [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: Body insecurity, M/M, Mpreg, Teenage Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 06:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17740616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuineapigQueen/pseuds/GuineapigQueen
Summary: Craig is stuck between being a parent and being a teenager. Finding a balance between both is hard, but Tweek is definitely gonna try. Or, prom is coming and Craig struggles to enjoy it.





	Come Meet Me in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Chubby craig prompt - Craig had unprotected sex with tweek and got 16 and pregnant. The extra weight he gained from his baby doesn’t go away and he feels apprehensive about going to prom. Tweek a) convinces craig to go, b) takes craig somewhere else, or c) stays at home with craig and the baby. Any of these are fine :D"
> 
> I adored this prompt so much that it turned into a much longer thing. Sorry you had to wait so long for it anon. Hopefully you like it! Also anyone who knows me well knows my niece is named Sara - so here's a little tribute to my favourite baby.
> 
> Also I recently went to see Lily Allen, think it shows? Oops. 
> 
> Forgot to say thanks to metrophobic for the beta ilu
> 
> Soundtrack: Air Balloon - Lily Allen

_ This is tacky,  _ is the only thing going through Craig’s mind as they sway mindlessly on the gym-turned-dancefloor. The way the balloons reflect the light, the cheap disco balls and the paper decorations. The music bouncing off the walls from the shitty PA system and the weird glow the room takes on. This is nothing like how he had imagined.

 

It’s summer, and hot, and the fans in the gym seem to be doing nothing against the stifling heat. There’s punch, but no water? What idiot approved that? Maybe the punch would help to cool down, but he feels kinda sick and knows the sweetness wouldn’t help. He’s surprised in himself for wanting to go home. They’d been really excited for prom originally, it’s a milestone and it’s so nice to have a partner to share it with. But that was  _ before  _ he got pregnant. 

 

Before becoming a teenage pregnancy statistic, Craig had many naive, innocent ideas and plans for prom. Like getting all dressed up, hopefully getting trashed at an after party and maybe even getting a hotel or something cool. He doesn’t really want any of those things now, and well, that’s good, because he isn’t going to get them. He is wearing a blazer and a black t-shirt because finding a tux for someone who was actually about to pop was expensive and difficult. There would be no drinking, not that Craig feels well enough even if he could, and there is definitely no money for a hotel. He doesn’t really feel like a teenager anymore, but he’d come anyway. Tweek seemed to really want to go and it was a rite of passage. So Craig just tries to keep his face straight, hopefully not looking too miserable or sick, and sways with Tweek. His belly prevents them from really getting  _ that  _ close. 

 

His feet are beginning to hurt. He wonders if he should complain or if it might ruin Tweek’s night. He doesn’t want to ruin Tweek’s night, but he isn’t sure how much more he can actually stand. To top it off, people are definitely staring and whispering, as high schoolers do. It’s hard for Craig to ignore and let go, he isn’t thick skinned regarding these things - not like Tweek.

 

“You’re not okay, are you?” Tweek asks him, gently and quietly. 

 

Craig shakes his head. “I don’t feel good but, uh, we don’t have to leave yet… if you’re having fun?”

 

“Honestly, I’m fucking miserable,” he says. “I’m not enjoying seeing you look so  _ -hnn-  _ unwell.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Craig says, guilt washing over him. He didn’t want to be the reason that Tweek’s prom was ruined. He didn’t want to be a total misery all evening.

 

“Don’t be sorry, let’s just go,” Tweek says, shaking his head. He steps out from their awkward little slow dance embrace and takes Craig’s hand in his own. “We’ll be happier at home, together,” he assures. 

 

And so they go, Craig glad to be done with the place for the night. 

 

There is no stereotypical prom night lovemaking that evening. Craig isn’t up to it. Which is ironic, because hormone-driven teenage trysts were what brought them here in the first place. Craig didn’t have any excuses for them, they were just stupid. They just hadn’t been careful and now they’re dealing with the consequences. Trying to explain that to his parents had been one of the most awful experiences of his life. But it’s all said and done now, and there isn’t any going back. 

 

—

 

When senior prom swings around a year later, Craig’s opinion and enthusiasm hasn’t changed. He doesn’t really want to go, it sort of feels irrelevant to his life at this stage. He struggled over the last year with a disconnect between where he has to be, and where he feels he should be. He’s been at school, finishing his senior year because that was one of his mom’s conditions - finish school if you want to live here and have a baby - but really wishing he was at home, being a parent. 

 

Much like every day, he wanders aimlessly through the halls - either between classes or at lunch, daydreaming about his daughter. She is nearly a year old now, and he’s had this year to try and get used to leaving her in daycare every day  _ but  _ that is so much easier said than done. If she’d been planned, if they’d been older Craig maybe would have just stayed at home with her, but it just wasn’t possible. 

 

He oftentimes felt that he was missing out on such important moments with her. He knows school isn’t a waste of time, but sometimes it feels like it.

 

He can feel Tweek’s hand in his, his fingers laced between Craig’s, grounding him and reminding him why they are here. They are here for her, because they love her and they love each other and they want to build a future. Craig sighs, wishing for the day to be over. 

 

“Prom soon,” Tweek says with a smile on his face, “you excited?”

 

Craig doesn’t quite know how to say that he isn’t.

 

“I didn’t think we’d be going?” he asks, treading with caution. He doesn’t want to ruin Tweek’s excitement.

 

“I mean, last year was such a bust and I’m sure your mom will  _ -ah-  _ watch Sara for one night?” Tweek says with a shrug.

 

“I guess.” Craig frowns, unsure.

 

“I think you deserve it, you deserve a night off,” Tweek says and squeezes his hand again before planting a kiss on his cheek. “I want you to have a great time to make up for last year, man.”

 

“Okay,” Craig agrees, his stomach feeling funny. He adores Tweek for wanting such a good night for him, but also,  _ also  _ he really isn’t sure he actually wants to go.

 

A big part is that he really doesn’t feel like dressing up. He really hasn’t felt that comfortable with the way he’s looked since having Sara. He feels much better at home, where he can hide in sweats and a hoodie. Plus, running around after Sara leaves less time for his mind to really wander. He doesn’t have to think about how much baby weight he failed to lose when his kid needs attention. 

 

The doctor had wanted Craig to gain a lot of weight throughout his pregnancy, more weight than Craig was happy with,  _ but  _ it was important. Craig came to realise he would do just about anything for the baby, even get fat and give up on his appearance. Craig has sort of resigned himself to having the ‘I’ve-had-a-baby-belly’ and stretch marks for life - he hates them, but nowhere near as much as he loves Sara. 

 

People had laughed at him, he’d been called fat a lot behind his back (by Cartman a few times, ironically), and there’d been a lot of whispering. Things like  _ I can’t believe Tweek is still with him  _ or  _ His body is going to be completely ruined.  _ And yeah, okay, maybe having a baby had ruined his stomach, but people didn’t have to be so  _ nasty  _ about it. 

 

Tweek was adamant that nothing was ruined, but Craig sure felt that way every time he actually stopped and looked at himself in the mirror. 

 

One thing about having her in the summer was that Craig thought he’d have all of the break to lose weight. To come back in the fall looking better than ever - it turned out he wasn’t a Kardashian and absolutely none of that had happened. And once his daughter had actually arrived, he was more fussed with her wellbeing and needs. 

 

That didn’t stop people who barely knew him, never had a baby in their lives, didn’t stop them laughing and making fun.

 

—

 

Craig sighs a little in frustration as he’s had to put down his homework for like the 5th time in ten minutes. It’s the price of trying to do school and have a baby, which he knows, but it doesn’t mean that it frustrates him any less.

 

Sara is whinging again, probably because she’s lost whatever toy she was playing with. She does that: throws the toy then cries when she realises it’s gone. Craig has her on a mat in front of the TV playing bright, irritating kids cartoons in a feeble attempt to distract her. It doesn’t always work; sometimes she’ll just pester Craig, or Tweek until she is picked up and held. 

 

She can’t walk yet, and while Craig is excited to see her first steps, he’s also kinda thankful because she’s much easier to watch when she can’t run away on her own. She crawls a bit and can pull herself up to stand, but can’t actually walk yet. Craig is also a bit anxious that he will miss her first steps, being at school. 

 

He walks over to her mat to go retrieve the toy she threw, but when he hands it back she shrieks “Da!” and holds out her hands. Craig can’t say no, he’s never been good at it, and picks her up into his arms. He abandons his homework, which he’ll now have to do later at night, but it’s worth it for him. He already feels like he is missing out on so much time with Sara that he’ll take as much time as he can get. She’s smiling at him with the couple of teeth that have come through. He remembers how miserable she was when they were coming. A lot of awful late nights and crying, both on Sara’s and her parents’ part. He grins back at her as he sits down on the couch and places her on his lap. She has a toy pair of keys in her hands, and she instantly begins thrashing them around and babbling at Craig. She just wants to play with him. Craig feels so shitty that sometimes he can’t even do that.

 

Tweek is still at work, because somebody has got to and well, Tweek isn’t the one with baby belly or the c-section wound that had to heal right after she was born. They had a sort of unspoken agreement that Tweek would be the one who works, and Craig would be on baby duty more - it was working out okay so far. Craig still feels guilty that his parents still foot most of the bills though; Tweek couldn’t work enough and finish school. It’s the deal they have, Tweek and Craig have to finish school. His mom said that she’d make it happen regarding daycare and bigger bills, as long as they got their diplomas. Tweek’s wage pays for things like diapers and wipes. Craig intends to pay his mom and dad back as soon as he can, though. 

 

Craig’s mom, Laura, walks into the living room. She’s partway through making dinner, but she’s obviously hit a point where she’s waiting for the oven timer or something, and is free to talk.

 

“What’s going on here?” she asks, referring to Sara’s playing. “I thought we were doing homework.”

 

“I’m taking a break,” Craig says. “Sorry, it’s just… I miss her when I’m at school.”

 

“I know.” Laura sighs. “It’s exactly the same feeling when you go back to work, but that’s the deal. You need to get your diploma.”

 

“I know.” Craig struggles to wrangle Sara as she wiggles in his lap. “I’ll do more once she’s asleep, it’s fine.”

 

“Okay” Laura replies, clearly seeing how much joy it brings Craig to be with Sara. He kisses the top of her ear and she giggles. Craig knows he is biased, but he is sure she’s perfect. “Just… manage your time, okay?”

 

“Sure,” Craig promises. He lifts Sara so that she is now standing on his lap, and she kicks her legs a little, knowing Craig has got her. 

 

The sound of the door clicking makes all three look up, though almost as soon as he hears the sound, Craig’s heart flutters. He knows is Tweek getting home from work, and Craig is that pathetic that in the few hours they spend apart, he misses Tweek like crazy. 

 

“Hey,” Tweek says as he walks through the door. He sounds tired but definitely happy to be home. The first thing he does after putting his bag down is head over to Craig for a kiss. Craig obliges, he’s so happy that their romance isn’t totally dead. He’s heard a lot about babies, especially unplanned ones, ruining relationships, but he thinks that he and Tweek are actually stronger for it. Of course things weren’t always picture perfect, but they work together as a team well enough to avoid resenting one another. The arguments they have are usually out of tiredness and over-emotion - and they apologise often straight after. 

 

“Can I?” Tweek asks and reaches for Sara. Craig lifts her and passes her to Tweek. Tweek instantly begins to pepper her belly with kisses and she giggles and shrieks. 

 

“So, prom?” Tweek asks, still bouncing Sara.

 

“Oh, I sort of forgot,” Craig admits.

 

“Are you guys going?” Laura asks. Craig sees an opportunity. Maybe she’ll say no to babysitting.

 

“Maybe,” Craig says. “If you are okay with sitting for us?”

 

“Yeah,” Tweek chimes in. “Only if you’re  _ -nnn-  _ okay with it.”

 

“Of course I’m okay with it, you guys never go anywhere,” she says. “You barely have dates.”

 

“Well, we’ve got Sara so…” Craig trails off. He knows that he’s a good part of why they don’t go out much. He struggles leaving Sara at home and also, he really, really hates trying to find nice clothes to wear and like, actually having to think about how much his body has changed. He knows that Tweek knows how insecure he is, even though it’s been a year. Tweek isn’t really pushing it. 

 

“You deserve a night off,” his mom says. “You can enjoy your prom more now. You won’t be heavily pregnant and uncomfortable.”

 

“You’re gonna look so good in a real tux, dude!” Tweek gushes.

 

Craig winces a little at the thought. Will a tuxedo hide his belly? He doubts it, plus he isn’t really interested in being reminded how many sizes having a baby has made him go up. 

 

“You’ll look great too,” he says, albeit weakly. 

 

—

 

Craig sometimes tunes out when his friends talk. It’s not their fault; he just can’t bring himself to be interested in the things they talk about sometimes. There’s just more to Craig’s existence than petty teenage problems, like whether Bebe’s gonna let Clyde touch her boobs or if Token’s parents are gonna get him the new iPhone or not. They mostly want to talk about things that Craig can’t relate to in any way, like Jimmy trying to explain to Clyde what some sex position means. So Clyde’s virgin ass can never try it. It’s tiring sometimes.

 

Sometimes he just lets his mind go back to Sara, about the way she laughs, or how cute her first little teeth look, or that she can stand now. Craig would rather be singing lullabies than talking about titties, but here he is again. 

 

He likes to sing Lily Allen to her. She’s still too young to understand any of the curse words. He likes to sing when nobody else is around but he’s come to let Tweek listen in, too. Sara gets this smile when he sings “Pushing Up Daisies” to her, and he twirls her around as he does. She lets out shrieks of laughter and just smiles. The pure joy is all Craig needs to remind himself to keep going, that he’s gotta get through this shit for her. 

 

He’s jolted out of his daydream by Clyde nudging him in the side. “Right Craig?” he asks with a big grin.

 

“Huh?” Craig replies. “Wasn’t listening.”

 

“Prom, dude,” Clyde repeats. “Our suits! My dad knows the guy who owns the shop, he can get us all good deals.”

 

“Oh,” Craig replies. “Sure, I guess.” He looks over at Tweek, who looks just as excited as Clyde. Craig sighs. “Sounds good.”

 

“So you’ll come shopping with us then? Next week?” Clyde asks, like he’s waiting for Craig to say  _ no _ and shoot him down.

 

“Definitely,” Tweek says. “I can’t wait to see  _ -nghh-  _ Craig in a tux.”

 

“Don’t get your hopes too high,” Craig mumbles self-deprecatingly. 

 

“It’s gonna be so good, dude!” Clyde exclaims before launching into a vivid description of his dream suit and what he thinks everyone else should wear.

 

Craig tunes himself back out. 

 

He spends most of his day thinking about Sara on and off. He can’t wait for school to be done so that he can spend more time with her. He knows he’ll have to get a job but at least he’ll have that in-between time. He tries to block all thoughts about the prom, about going tux shopping and trying on clothes. He sighs and looks down at his stomach before poking the pudge. This isn't what he wanted to look like at eighteen, this isn’t how he wants to look in prom pictures, and this definitely isn’t the size he wants to be trying on suits. Sara is very lucky that she’s so gorgeous. 

 

He thinks this again later, past midnight as he comforts her back into sleep. She’s teething still, and sometimes won’t sleep through the night because of it. Craig has figured out that gum gel and something to chew on is helpful. She’s also allowed a tiny bit of baby painkiller - so he often finds himself comforting her until that kicks in and she settles. She’s mostly a good sleeper.

 

Craig volunteered to deal with her cries this time, but it wasn’t really selfless. He wanted her near, even if she was upset and in pain. He wanted to hold her till she slept. He was having trouble sleeping himself, and everything just feels better when he has her weight resting on him. She’s making little whimpers and snuffles but Craig knows she’ll be back to sleep again soon. He thinks he might be selfish and let her lie here. The closeness helps him feel calmer in the dark. 

 

He hums the tune to “Air Balloon” quietly, enough so that she can hear but not loud enough to wake Tweek. He likes to hum the same few songs so that she’ll remember and recognise them when she’s older. She might even associate them with bedtime and sleeping. That would be the dream. 

 

He’s going to regret it tomorrow, staying up all night to watch her sleep, but right now it feels worth it. He feels like his brain is on an endless feedback loop of parental anxiety: he doesn’t spend enough time with her, but if he doesn’t go to school he won’t be able to build for her future. It’s a mess of constant guilt and mixed feelings, because he wants  _ now  _ he wants to be here for her now. But he can’t not sacrifice now for the future. He envies the parents who really got to plan their journey and got to savour every moment. Sometimes he wishes it could all just stop and he could just enjoy being her dad - here and now. He watches Tweek sleeping from across the room. He doesn’t know how Tweek does it. How Tweek manages to push through the guilt and the fear, and just gets things done. Having a baby really matured Tweek; he’s grown up so much in the last year that Craig has to really stop and remind himself. 

 

Craig needed help really bad right after she was born. He knew the actual labour was going to hurt (he couldn’t really fathom just how  _ much _ but still, he knew) but nobody had told him how much it all would hurt afterwards. Right after the c-section, he actually had to ask Tweek’s help to go pee, and that’s when Craig really realised they’d hit a point of no return in their relationship. Knowing that Tweek had seen him in such vulnerable states throughout labour and delivery (pain sort of blinds you to that shame) went against the way his insecure teenage brain was wired. Afterwards, having Tweek help him walk around and go to the bathroom and just do all those basic things made him realise that he and Tweek were probably more like his parents than they were Clyde and Bebe. Or any other couple their age - it’s like they’d tripped and fallen into the married phase, completely skipping the self-consciousness of teenage love. It was weird, he didn’t like to think about it  _ too  _ hard, because he did still want to feel like a kid sometimes. It was just so hard. 

 

Much like the scar on his lower belly, the stretch marks and the tummy - she’s permanent. Craig is both a teenager and a parent, whether he likes it or not.

 

—

 

Craig juggles Sara on his hip. She seems excited to be out, which Craig is glad for, but just because she’s in a good mood doesn’t mean she becomes less of a handful. She’s currently pulling at the tassels of his hat. Craig feels like he chooses his battles with his daughter - this isn’t one worth fighting. 

 

They’re in the shop Clyde’s dad recommended, all five of them. Although Token is just here for moral support - he’s already bought his suit somewhere else. Craig, Tweek, Jimmy and Clyde will be renting theirs. Craig doesn’t really want to do this, but Tweek is excited and Craig doesn’t want to be the kind of partner that just sucks all the joy from him. He insisted on bringing Sara though - he wasn’t having his time with her cut short for tux shopping. He already has to leave her at a daycare all day, he isn’t leaving her with his mom while they go out and do frivolous things. Tweek had thought bringing her was a bit silly, but he hadn’t argued. 

 

The dude who is supposed to be giving them this discount is talking to Clyde a mile a minute, clearly very excited to have four clients. Clyde is explaining his “vision” for what he wants to look like for prom. Token keeps sneaking glances at Craig and smiling - that shared joke feels like the only thing keeping Craig going at this point. His stomach feels tight, he’s lightheaded and his heart is pounding. He knows he is clinging to Sara like a crutch, but she makes him feel safe. It’s weird, knowing that he is protecting her, then in turn, makes him feel safer. 

 

“Oh,” Clyde says, looking at Craig. “Craig’s had a baby, so keep that in mind,  _ ya know?” _

 

Craig frowns. He knows Clyde actually doesn’t mean anything malicious. He probably thinks he’s being subtle, actually, but Clyde is most  _ definitely  _ chubbier than Craig. But Craig does what he wishes Clyde would do - and keeps his mouth shut. He relaxes a little when he feels Tweek’s hand creep around his waist. Tweek’s lips hover just above his neck before he plants a kiss there.

 

“You look incredible, man,” Tweek whispers. “Your body is amazing.”

 

“Shhh,” Craig replies, but he’s smiling as he does. 

 

Sara makes a squeaking sound right in Craig’s ear, then attempts to launch herself at Tweek. Craig collects his bearings and stumbles back into the reality of parenting. 

 

“Okay, okay,” he grumbles, and hands her to Tweek. Of course she wants Tweek right now, when he wants to be cuddling her more than anything. 

 

“Do you guys know what you want?” Clyde asks.

 

“Classy,” Jimmy says. “Simple, yet el— ele— el… classic?”

 

“Cheap,” Craig cuts in.

 

“All of the above?” is Tweek’s answer. He gives the shopkeeper an apologetic smile, probably on Craig’s behalf. Tweek sometimes does that when Craig is in a bad mood in public. 

 

“I’m kinda tired,” Craig complains. “I’ll be fine with whatever.”

 

“I’ll help him pick,” Tweek says, bouncing Sara and pointedly looking at Craig.

 

Right, he’s doing it again. Sucking all the joy out of everything. 

 

“Have your baby back,” Tweek says before passing her back. “I’ll  _ -nghh-  _ find you something.”

 

Sara fusses a little as Craig gathers her, probably because she’s just been passed around like a football. Craig holds her close and kisses the top of her head. “You’re okay,” he hums. She pulls at his shirt anyway, and he rocks back and forth, trying to remember if he packed any interesting toys in the baby bag. He thinks he might have the toy keys she likes to chew on in there somewhere, but that would involve putting her down and really rifling through.

 

“Do you know your sizes, or do I need to measure you?” asks the shopkeeper. “Especially if things have changed, you know?” Craig knows he means him, but he isn’t quite sure what to say back.

 

“I know his size, it’s fine,” Tweek cuts in, and Craig deflates a little in relief. He smiles at Tweek, a silent thank you. Tweek smiles back. It says,  _ I’ve got you.  _

 

They loiter around while Clyde and the shopkeeper go off to try and make Clyde’s “vision” come to life. Tweek pulls a few basic suits, the classic black-and-white ordeal. 

 

“You gotta try them on,” Tweek says. “Just once, okay? Just  _ -hnn-  _ show me? While Clyde and Jimmy are distracted?” 

 

“God, do I have to?” Craig already knows the answer.

 

“Yeah,” Tweek says. “You go first, okay? So that way if they come back, I’ll be the one  _ -nnn-  _ trying things on?”

 

Craig bites his lip but nods. “Okay, but you gotta watch Sara.”

 

“More than happy to watch my own kid,” Tweek says with a laugh. 

 

Craig does as he’s told and tries everything on, but he honestly hates them all. He doesn’t look how his younger self had fantasised. Before having a baby he’d thought about how sweet he and Tweek would look in matching suits and corsages. But that picture in his head was of a different Craig, a Craig who hadn’t had a baby and still thought his biggest problem was math homework. Not this Craig - not a much more jaded, tired and chubbier Craig. 

 

“Are you okay?” Tweek asks him. “You’re acting kind of like… before.”

 

“Before?” Craig fiddles with the buttons on his shirt. Nothing seems to be hiding what he wants. It’s frustrating.

 

“Well, like when we first had to put  _ -ah-  _ Sara in daycare? You got really wound up and stuff?” Tweek says with caution. Gently. 

 

“I’m okay, Tweek,” he lies. “I just miss her sometimes.”

 

“This one is my favourite,” Tweek says, as Craig steps out of the changing room to show him. Craig hates them all, and Tweek isn’t paying tons of attention anyway because Sara is crying. Probably a combination of bored and hungry.

 

“I’ll get this one then,” Craig mumbles. “I’ll feed her while you try things on.”

 

“Okay,” Tweek says distractedly. 

 

Of course, Tweek looks fantastic in everything he tries on.

 

—

 

Craig stares up at the ceiling, lying on his back on what has become his and Tweek’s bed. (Tweek moved in while Craig was pregnant.) He has Sara next to him, tucked under his arm so that she’s also staring up at the ceiling. Craig stares at the glow in the dark stickers, still there from childhood. They’re dull, as the light is on, but Craig knows they still shine in the dark. His room still definitely looks like it belongs to a teenager, bar all the baby things thrown about. Craig used to be better at keeping it clean before Sara - but Tweek is messy and Craig is too tired to really organise things. He makes sure Sara’s things are clean and doesn’t bother with much else. Sara kicks her chubby legs and flails her arms. Craig is pretty used to this wriggling; he just holds her tighter and moves to kiss her tummy. She giggles loudly as soon as he does. 

 

“Are you gonna get dressed?” Tweek asks. He’s in his suit already. He and Craig had both rented cheap, classic ones. Nothing fancy, not like Clyde’s, which is red velvet. A black suit with a white button up is just fine, and they’ve both got bow ties, too. Neither of them are all that creative when it comes to fashion anyway. 

 

“Yeah,” Craig says, glancing at the clock. “I just can’t tear myself away.” And he launches into blowing raspberries on her belly, earning shrieks of laughter.

 

“Stop hyping her up,” Tweek reprimands. “Don’t make your mom’s job harder.”

 

“You’re right, I’m sorry. She’s just so cute when she’s laughing,” Craig admits.

 

“I know.” Tweek smiles. “But we gotta  _ -nnn-  _ go to prom tonight, just you and me?” 

 

“Yeah.” Craig wants that part - like having some kind of date night. Romance, just him and Tweek loving each other as they should be. It’s the guilt he wishes he could tear himself away from. He wishes he could stop his worrying about Sara whenever he’s away. To enjoy just one night out with his lover. 

 

“Come,” Tweek says, reaching his arm out to Craig as to pull him off the bed. “Lemme sit with Sara.”

 

“Okay, I guess,” Craig says as he reluctantly pulls himself away. 

 

As self-conscious as he is about his looks, it isn’t so much that he won’t change in front of Tweek. He was a bit anxious right after Sara was born but it had been nearly a year. And well, there were certain relationship pretences they had both stopped giving any fucks about after they became parents. Just finding time to have sex was kinda nice, let alone having time to be hung up about weight gain or whatever. Craig was still pretty painfully insecure in front of others, but it was different with Tweek - he had Tweek’s kid, there were different rules. 

 

So, he doesn’t worry too much about Tweek seeing him change. He supposes that normally, you are not supposed to reveal your prom look to your partner until they arrive to pick you up (or vice versa), but they never had that. And they are never going to. There isn’t all that much secrecy or mystery left in their relationship, and Craig mostly likes it that way. Even though he knows Tweek is watching, he still sighs at his stomach in the mirror as he does up his shirt. 

 

“Stop it,” Tweek says, but it’s tender. Not harsh. 

 

“Nobody tells you that having a kid will do  _ this.”  _ Craig gestures to his belly.

 

“Would you  _ -gah-  _ give her back though?” Tweek asks, a half smile curling his mouth.

 

“You know I wouldn’t,” Craig says. “But I’m still allowed to be kinda sad, aren’t I?”

 

“You’re always allowed to be sad, man,” Tweek assures him. “ _ I’m  _ just sad to see you being so negative about yourself. You’re like, the sexiest person I’ve ever seen.”

 

Craig shakes his head. “You’re sweet, babe.”

 

“Craig.” Tweek’s voice is dead serious. He clasps Sara in his arms and stands up so that he is at Craig's level. He moves until they are pressed together, Sara between them. It reminds Craig of prom last year, when he was so pregnant with Sara that she was always in between them - no matter what. 

 

“Craig, you grew a whole  _ -hnn-  _ person. From a bunch of cells to our daughter - you’ve got some  _ -nghh-  _ physical effects to show for it, but I like them. I like knowing you created a person and successfully brought them into the world. This tummy,” he says, placing a hand on it, “reminds me of her. And I love that.”

 

Craig squeezes Tweek harder, and Sara by proxy. Sara grabs a fistful of Craig’s shirt and he has to force himself not to cry. Because if you put a gun to his head, he’d rather live with his post-baby weight forever than not have the baby in the first place. She’s a part of him, and she’s left several scars. And that’s okay, he’s gotta learn to be okay. He’s gotta love himself like Tweek does, like they both love Sara. 

 

“Sorry for being silly,” he says bashfully. 

 

“Not silly,” Tweek insists and presses a kiss to Craig’s cheek. “Just get dressed so I can give you your corsage. Okay?”

 

“You got me a corsage?” Craig asks. He hasn’t thought so much about those details. He thought they’d be forgoing all that shit.

 

“Yeah man, the real prom experience. To make up for last year,” Tweek says, chuckling a little nervously. 

 

“Okay.” Craig breaks their embrace to finish buttoning up his shirt. “Thanks, babe.”

 

Tweek got matching red roses for their corsages - a classic. Simple and not too flashy, Craig adores it. He feels a little more confident walking into the poorly decorated gym with their matching roses and rented suits. People can say what they want, Craig knows that Tweek only has eyes for him. 

 

“Do you want punch?” Tweek asks him. Craig remembers last year and how he felt too sick to have any of it, so he nods.

 

“Why the hell not,” he says, and they make their way to the punch bowl, hand in hand. 

 

They spend most of their time like this, glued together side by side and holding hands like their lives depend on it. Not out of nerves though, just out of heart-thumping, butterflies- inducing love. For the first time in over a year, Craig almost feels like a teenager again. 

 

Almost.

 

He’s come to realise parenthood isn’t something you can turn on and off. It’s always going to be there. What he has to learn to do is not let it consume him, to try and enjoy his Now. He’s not quite there yet. 

 

He keeps looking at his watch. It’s only eight. He’s starting to get kinda tired, which is another side effect of parenting he found. His friends want to stay up late and party, play video games, whatever it is they want to do at the time. Being at school all day and then looking after a baby leave Tweek and Craig way too exhausted to do any of those things. 

 

He stays pressed up to Tweek, swaying to “Who’d Have Known” by Lily Allen. He thinks of home, of Sara. They could be with her now, putting her to bed and singing to her. Here feels sort of hollow in comparison, artificial.

 

“How late do you wanna stay?” Craig asks, trying to broach the subject sensitively. He doesn’t want to ruin Tweek’s night already. 

 

“Uh, well, whenever, man,” Tweek replies. “Do you wanna  _ -nghh-  _ go?”

 

“Kinda,” Craig admits.

 

“Thank fucking god,” Tweek breathes out all at once. 

 

“What?” Craig replies, flabbergasted.

 

“I just… I didn’t wanna  _ -ah-  _ ruin your night man, last year was such a bust for you. I want you to have the best  _ -hnn-  _ experience, but…” Tweek trails off, and Craig can tell he’s already thinking about Sara. He gets a very specific kind of misty-eyed whenever he does.

 

“I thought I was ruining your night! I just keep thinking about Sara, about home,” Craig confesses.

 

“Me too, this was fun but like, I’m ready to  _ -ah-  _ tap out.” 

 

“Let’s go, then,” Craig says. “I had fun, Tweek, I really did. Just parent kinda fun.”

 

“The kind of fun that ends before nine,” Tweek jokes. 

 

“It’s still fun,” Craig says as they exit the gym, hand in hand.

 

—

 

The clock hasn’t even hit nine by the time they walk in the door. Laura has Sara in her arms looking sleepy. Her head perks up in surprise at the sound of the door.

 

“You’re back early.”

 

“Yeah, we tried the whole teenager thing, but we decided we liked home better,” Craig says warmly.

 

“Well, you’ve caught me,” Laura says. “I know I’m putting her down late, but she’s been so very cute and impossible to resist.”

 

“I know the feeling,” Tweek says.

 

“Well, we can do it,” Craig suggests. “Since we’re home now anyway.”

 

As Craig takes Sara from his mother, he can already tell that she is mostly asleep already. Probably worn out from the excitement of having a night in just with Grandma. Craig strokes her back anyway, already humming the first notes of “Air Balloon” _.  _ Tweek follows, hand on the small of Craig’s back as they head to the bedroom. 

 

Tweek hums along too, a song turned lullaby that Craig has familiarised them all with. And Craig doesn’t have to rock back and forward for very long before her eyes fall shut and her breathing evens. Craig gives her a kiss before setting her down in her crib. Once she’s down, Tweek wraps his arms around Craig’s waist and gives him a squeeze. 

 

“Your body made her,” Tweek whispers.

 

Craig can’t help but smile. His body may not be so perfect anymore, but it made Sara - and she’s the most perfect thing Craig has ever seen. 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is blesspastacraig if you wanna be friends :)  
> I'm chubby creek trash <3


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